


Can't Let You Go

by rollingdays



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Come Eating, Comeplay, Crushes, Dirty Talk, Edgeplay, M/M, Mutual Pining, Orgasm Delay/Denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-12 02:18:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11727459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rollingdays/pseuds/rollingdays
Summary: Sho takes shelter in a bar in the middle of nowhere when he gets lost during a thunderstorm, and ends up walking into more than he planned for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic, crossposted from LJ.

The rain was coming down hard as Sho walked, and he adjusted to hold the handle of his umbrella more firmly as the wind pushed against him. His feet made soft splashing noises against the sidewalk, and he sighed, thinking about how his shoes were probably ruined. Usually, this would have upset him because these were his nice shoes and they had been incredibly expensive, but he had had such a bad day at the office that a pair of ruined shoes was just one more thing on a long list of irritants he had suffered through in the past ten hours. He kept his head down as he walked, relying mostly on memory to find his way, and hoping that once he got to the train station, he wouldn’t have long to wait before he was inside a train car, out of the rain and on his way home to put an end to this exhausting day. 

He shoved his hand in his pocket and walked through the dim light cast by the streetlamps, his eyes remaining on the sidewalk. There was no one around him, most people chose to take cabs home when the rain was coming down like this, and it would have been an almost serene walk if he hadn’t had the rough day that he did. He turned the usual corner, and stopped. 

There was a bush here. 

There was not a bush at his usual corner. 

He closed his eyes, sighed again, and lifted his head. Through the gloom of the 8pm downpour, he could see this was definitely not where he usually walked to get to the train. He was standing on a street lined with closed businesses, most on the shabbier side. A few had windows boarded up, and there was one window with a giant crack hastily repaired with duct tape on the building across the street from him. Most of the streetlights at the end of the block weren’t working. He glanced back, and noticed that the way back was unfamiliar as well. He had no idea when he had made a wrong turn. He had been much more focused on going over his day of work in his mind and keeping the rain out of his eyes than where he had been going. He groaned, closing his eyes again and letting his head fall back in a sign of frustration. He reached into his pocket to use his phone’s map and find out where he had gone wrong, only to find out, when he pulled his phone out, that it had gone dead somewhere between the office and where he was currently standing.

He was stuck.

Sho groaned louder, intending to turn around and start trying to retrace his steps, or at least find an open business where he could use a phone to call a cab. As he turned, a light that didn’t match the hazy white streetlamps caught his eye. Emitting from somewhere tucked behind a protruding building on the right side of the street, a faint, warm, orange light was spilling onto the sidewalk. A tiny ounce of hope bubbled in Sho’s chest and he started to walk forward, praying for a friendly sign of life. 

When he reached the building, he saw the light was the glow from a neon sign that simply said BAR, attached to a plain building with a heavy wooden door. He tried to look inside the front window to see if it was open, but either the glass or the interior was so dark, he couldn’t see beyond his own reflection. 

“Well, what do I have to lose, right?” he muttered to himself, and he stretched out his hand to pull at the metal handle attached to the door. Hoping for the best, and prepared for the worst, Sho pulled.

The door came open, but not easily. He tugged as the wind continued to whip rain around him, his coat flapping. The door finally gave way with a groan not unlike the sound Sho had made earlier, and without giving himself time to hesitate, he slipped inside. 

The room he now found himself in was small, and extremely dim. The only light was coming from three hanging lamps above a dark wood bar. There were a few tables in the small space, but they all had their chairs set on top, as if it was closing time, despite it being in the early evening. The air smelled like damp wood, which was surprisingly pleasant and earthy. He glanced back at the bar, and noticed that there was a small man standing behind the tabletop. He was completely absorbed in a handheld video game, and hadn’t even noticed Sho’s entrance. There was no one else inside.

A blast of wind hit him in the back, reminding Sho he was still standing only halfway inside. He turned around to pull the door closed, and the resulting thump of the wood seemed to calm his heart a little. Without the rain and wind hitting him, a little of his frustration ebbed away. He closed his umbrella, shook the water out onto the mat at the door, and tightened his jacket around him. He stood awkwardly at the entrance, waiting for the man behind the bar to put down the game he was playing and notice him. After what seemed like way too long, Sho took the lead himself, and walked toward the comfort of the light thrown by the lamps. When he got halfway to the bar, the man seemed to finally noticed him. He looked up from his game, a look of shock overtook his face for a brief second before he glanced back down at the console in his hands. 

“I’ll be with you in just a second, I just have to…” The man's voice drifted to silence as he tilted the console sideways, and stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth. His thumbs moved quickly on the pads as he violently tilted the console the opposite direction. Sho awkwardly stood, one hand on top of the bar, watching him and waiting. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt a sudden fondness for this guy. 

There was a tinny blast of music from the speakers, and the man slammed the game down onto the counter, which made Sho jump. He could read “YOU WIN!” flashing on the screen over the image of fireworks going off. 

“FINALLY!” the man yelled. “I’ve been trying to beat that level for weeks. Now… What can I get you?”

Sho was surprised by the question and didn’t know how to answer until he remembered where exactly he was. A bar. People usually order drinks in a bar. Duh.

“Oh,” he said awkwardly, taking time to think of what exactly to ask for first. Finally, he settled on, “Do you have an outlet where I could charge my phone?”

“Uh, sure.” The man said, flashing Sho a gummy smile that Sho loved and hated instantly at the same time. “You can use the outlet over there,” he said, pointing to where the bar met the wall.

“Great, thanks,” Sho said, “and… You wouldn’t happen to have a phone charger would you?”

The man let out a huge, hearty laugh. “You’re funny,” he said, pointing his finger at Sho's chest, “I didn’t expect that. What kind do you need?”

“Mine’s an iPhone.” Sho said nervously.

“You’re in luck, because so’s mine. Be right back.” The man vanished through the swing door behind the bar, and popped back in a second letter. “Here you go! Just don’t walk off with it, it’s the only charger we have here.”

“I won’t, scout’s honor,” Sho said, holding up his hand. 

The man smiled again, and stuck out his hand for a handshake. “I’m Nino,” he said. 

Sho reached forward and shook his hand. “Sho,” he said.

“Sho,” Nino copied, as if tasting his name. “What can I get you to drink?”

After a bit of consideration, he figured a drink couldn’t hurt while he waited for his phone to charge. He decided on bourbon. As Nino made his drink, and as Sho drank it, a comfortable aura seemed to envelope them, and as they started to talk about themselves, Sho felt like he’d known Nino his entire life. After the basics like age (Sho, 34, Nino, 33), hometowns (both from Tokyo, unsurprisingly, as they were still technically in Tokyo now), and families (Sho managed to stutter something passable about his relatives, without completely giving away exactly who is father was), they arrived on the topic of the bar itself.

“There’s four of us that own this place. Childhood friends with a stupid dream. We are all way too stubborn for our own good, if you can’t tell. We should have given this place up a long time ago, but none of us really have the heart to sell it. So instead we sit here while no one comes in and we run through all of our savings.” Nino looked at him over his glass of beer, which he had poured during their conversation. “Sounds rather bleak, doesn’t it?”

Sho thought about it, absentmindedly rolling his now empty glass between his palms. 

“Actually,” he said, “it sounds great. I would love to work in a place with my friends, instead of at the company I’m at now. It sounds like paradise to be with people you care about every day.” He looked down at his glass. “Now who’s being bleak?” he said with a laugh.

“What sort of company do you work for?” Nino asked.

“I’m an economic consultant for several high-end technological manufacturers,” Sho said. 

Nino whistled between his teeth. “Sounds complicated.”

“Not really,” Sho said, embarrassed. “But it is frustrating. I run my own practice, and a few of my employees were being… difficult today. I almost had to fire someone, which I’ve never done before.”

“You don’t seem the firing type,” Nino said, as he downed the last of his beer. “You want another drink?” 

Sho glanced at his watch and considered. His phone was probably charged enough by now to turn on and make the call for a cab, but on the other hand, he found himself not willing to leave quite yet. “Yeah, sure, why not?” he said.

Nino turned to grab the bottle of bourbon to refill Sho’s glass, and then the peaceful silence was shattered by the sound of a door slamming somewhere deep inside the backroom. Nino and Sho both jumped, and Nino dropped the heavy bottle of bourbon down onto the counter, where, luckily, it didn’t smash. “DAMN IT!” Nino yelled. “Aiba, you idiot! I’ve told you not to let the door slam at least 100 times by now!”

From the back room the sound of, “Sorry, Nino!” could barely reach Sho’s ears. Nino turned to Sho with a now full glass of bourbon. 

“That lunatic almost made me drop the bottle. Sorry about that. He’s so forgetful.”

Sho nodded in thanks for the drink. “Bar owner number two?” he asked, with a slight raise of an eyebrow as he took a sip.

“I guess you could say that,” said Nino. “Aiba’s my oldest friend, I’ve known him since I was in elementary school.” 

Suddenly, a head of messy brown hair peeked around the door to the back room. Sho was met with the kindest pair of eyes he’d ever seen, sitting in a face he instantly liked. “I was wondering who you were talking to!” Aiba said cheerfully.

“Meet Sho, our first customer today.” Sho looked at his watch. It was almost 9pm now, and felt a pang in his stomach. He was suddenly quite upset that these odd but sweet people had such poor business.

Aiba walked to the bar and held out his hand. “Hello, Sho! I’m Aiba Misaki, nice to meet you! You can call me Aiba, everyone here does.”

Sho stretched out his hand and shook Aiba’s. 

 

_________

 

It was 30 minutes and a round of drinks later and they were back on the topic of the bar. Aiba had pulled two of the stools around to the back of the bar, and now he and Nino were perched atop them, drinking along with Sho. 

“So it’s you two, and two more friends?” Sho was saying.

“Yeah,” Nino said. “And surprisingly, we’re the reliable ones.”

“There’s J, who is our constant know-it-all and occasional cook,” Nino said.

“And Ohno, who’s currently on a fishing vacation,” Aiba finished.

“Stop calling it vacation!” Nino yelled, smacking Aiba on the shoulder. “It’s not vacation if he goes every weekend!”

Sho laughed. He was surprised to find that his former annoyance with both work and the weather had completely dissipated. But, if he was being honest with himself, it was more than that. He was having a good time. He liked these two, and their hole-in-the-wall bar, and was already planning on asking for directions to visit again, only next time on purpose. 

The sound of a phone ringing interrupted their conversation, and Nino ran into the back room. From his place at the bar, Sho could vaguely hear snippets of a one-sided conversation.

“Yeah,” Nino was saying, “that’s fine, just get the usual. Bring an extra. Uh huh, that’s fine. Okay. Hurry up! Okay, see you soon.” There was the sound of a land line phone being put back in its cradle, then Nino was back.

“J’s bringing us some food. I hope you’re planning to stay for a while, because he’s bringing you some, too.” He nodded towards Sho. 

Warmth that had nothing to do with the alcohol he had been drinking flooded Sho’s chest and he grinned appreciatively. “Thank you, I didn’t realize it before, but I’m starving.”

 

_________

 

The mysterious J made his appearance fifteen minutes later. The front door was pulled open with a yank and Sho, who had been explaining exactly what an economic consultant was, paused, glancing to take in the sight of the person standing in the entryway. He was dripping wet from the rain and carrying an obscenely large and bulging paper bag, presumably full of takeout boxes. He had his hood up, and the bag in his arms was so tall that it covered his face, so to Sho, the man known as J looked like nothing more than a shadow. 

“A little help guys?” J said weakly from behind the bag. 

Nino remained in his seat passively, but Aiba jumped up and ran to help him, and took the bag from his arms so that J could close the door with a strong pull. J shook the rain from his coat and then lowered his hood, and Sho was shocked momentarily by how beautiful the man was. He had strong facial features, which the dim lighting made seem even more extreme, a prominent jaw, and eyebrows that perfectly framed his face. He had marks along his cheeks from acne scarring, but it only added more charm to his appearance. The worst part was the freckles above and below his lips, which Sho couldn’t seem to force himself to look away from. 

Aiba brought the food to the bar and set the bag down with a thud. The sound brought Sho out of his trance, and he quickly recovered from his brief staring episode by looking down at the bar instead, praying that the blush he could feel on his cheeks would dissipate soon and that the man in the doorway who was now wiping his feet on the mat hadn’t noticed him staring. He silently cursed the four bourbons he’d had to drink, blaming them for his sudden rapture with this newcomer. 

Nino started pulling out box after box of takeout and laying them all out on the counter. The amount of food surprised Sho, who broke the silence by asking, “Do you usually order this much to eat?”

Nino laughed. “Nope,” he said, “this one’s yours.” He slid a single container of yakisoba across the bar to Sho, and Sho laughed. 

“Thanks,” he said. 

Aiba reached over Nino’s shoulder to grab several boxes of different foods and took up his place on his stool again. “This place really makes the best food,” he said as he opened the boxes and set them out in front of him. “We were lucky that they were still open with all this rain.”

“You’re lucky that I love you enough to go out in all this rain to pick you up some food.” Sho jumped. He hadn’t heard J approach the bar, but he was standing close behind Sho, digging through the messenger bag he wore strapped around his shoulder. He looked up and saw Sho looking at him, and stuck out his hand. 

“I’m Jun,” he said with a smile. “You must be a friend of these two.”

Sho reached out and took Jun’s hand in what felt like slow motion. The name Jun was thundering around in his head like an echo. “I’m Sho,” he said after what felt like a lifetime. “And I just met these two tonight, but I do somehow already feel like we’re friends. They've been very hospitable.”

“Sho’s a customer, Jun,” Nino said from behind them. “Well, sort of a customer, I guess. He came to charge his phone.”

“Ah,” Jun said, letting go of Sho’s hand. “Sorry for leaving you in the care of these two idiots.” 

“I’m actually having a great time here,” Sho said, and he could feel the blush creeping back over his face and neck. He could still feel the way Jun’s skin felt against his, his palm slightly rough but firm, and suddenly his heart felt like it was in his stomach. And now that he was this close, Sho realized he could smell Jun, and he smelled good. The smell of his cologne was musky and expensive, and it was crowding his nose. Sho took a shaky breath in. He felt like he was drowning in the best way possible. Oh, no.

He quickly turned around and opened the takeout box of yakisoba and inhaled the scent as deeply as he could. He glanced up and both Nino and Aiba were staring at him curiously. “I’m starving!” Sho said loudly, and grabbing a pair of chopsticks from the table, he shoveled a huge mouthful of noodles into his mouth and began to chew. Nino looked from him to Jun, then back to him, and grinned. Sho felt dread and embarrassment blooming in his stomach like a flower.

“I’m going in the back for a while, but go ahead and eat without me and I will join you later,” Jun said, still rummaging around in his bag. 

“On it!” Aiba yelled around a full mouth of food.

 

_________

 

Twenty minutes later and Sho had finished his noodles. He was starting to feel sleepy from the alcohol and a full stomach, and Nino and Aiba were debating about the ending of a TV show they had both watched weeks before. Sho was lazily watching them argue back and forth like a tennis match, his chin propped up on his hand, when Jun appeared from behind the swinging door. It was like being doused in ice water. Sho’s sleepiness evaporated, and he tried to lean on his hand in what he thought was a much cooler way, without being obvious. 

Jun walked around to Sho’s side of the bar, took ahold of the stool next to him, and climbed on. He reached over for the food boxes littered across the bar, most now empty, grabbed the remains of something that looked like noodles, and began to eat. Sho was hyper-conscious of how close Jun was to him; he could smell his cologne again and had to resist the impulse to reach out and rest a hand on Jun's thigh with every muscle in his body. He was too drunk for this. 

Abruptly, he decided he needed to leave, and right now, before he did something stupid like tell this beautiful man who he had just met that he was in love with him. He attempted to slide from his stool in what he was hoping would be an effortless dismount, and ended up nearly tripping himself. Without missing a beat, Jun reached over and grabbed his arm to steady him. 

“You okay, man?” he asked, concern all over his face.

Sho blushed again. “I’m fine, really! But I do think I should call a cab now if I want to be at work at all tomorrow morning.” He avoided looking up, because he knew he’d meet Nino’s eyes; he could feel him watching him like a hawk. 

Jun removed his hand from Sho’s arm. “Oh, well, hey! It was really nice meeting you.” 

Sho forced himself to look at Jun and smile. “You, too,” he said.

 

_________

 

Fifteen minutes later and he was in a cab speeding back to his apartment. Back in the bar, he had left $200 in cash on the counter for the food and drinks. He knew it was a vast over-payment, but he hadn't cared. He could afford it, and the company he'd had was well worth the rather absurd tip. Then he had gone to grab his phone plugged into the wall, and when he looked up Nino had been gone. His relief had been enormous; he could leave without having any awkward discussions about the way he might have been caught devouring Jun with his eyes earlier. Good. 

But the second he stepped outside to wait for his cab, that relief was melted by a giant wave of dread when he spotted Nino, standing under an enormous umbrella five feet from the door, and calmly smoking in the now drizzling rain. 

“So,” Nino said.

“So?” Sho replied, ducking under the umbrella to stand next to him. 

“So you like our Jun-kun, huh?”

Sho played with the hem of his coat and considered how he wanted to answer that. “He’s… nice. He seems like a nice guy.” He was trying to seem ambivalent to the conversation, and could feel himself failing. His brain was screaming “MAYDAY!” at him as he twisted his hands in the fabric, hoping his cab would materialize out of thin air.

Nino laughed suddenly mid-inhale and released smoke into the air in a big cloud. He coughed a few times until he got his breath back. “A nice guy? The way you were looking at him, I bet you would have gotten on your knees in there if he had asked you to.”

Sho felt blood rushing in his ears. Was he really having this conversation right now with a man he just met a few hours ago?

Nino clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s fine, don’t worry. Jun has that effect on a lot of people, and your reaction is normal.” He paused to exhale smoke into the rain. “What’s not normal is how he looked at you.” 

Sho didn’t understand what Nino was talking about. “The way he looked at me?”

“Yeah,” he said, and offered Sho a cigarette from the box in his hand.

“No thanks, I don’t smoke. Quit a few years back,” Sho said, “and I don’t understand what you mean about ‘the way he looked at me.’”

“Well,” Nino said, putting the box away inside his jacket, “you were so in your own headspace in there that you didn’t notice he was staring at you, too. And Jun doesn’t stare like that. Not at fully-dressed men, anyway. You would have gotten on your knees for him, and I think if he’d also been drunk, and you were alone, he would have asked you to.”

Sho was confused. And drunk. And he wanted time to sit and process what Nino was talking about, maybe go over in great detail this new information that the hot stranger sitting inside might be attracted to him, too. But at that moment his cab pulled up, and flashed its lights at them. 

Nino flicked his cigarette into the street. “You’re gonna come back here, right?” he asked. 

Sho looked at him and sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe ask me tomorrow when I’m not drunk and horny.” 

That got Nino laughing again, his little wheezy, nasally giggle made Sho smile.

As he bent to pick up his stuff, Nino grabbed his arm and insisted they trade phone numbers, and Sho had agreed, more to get out of the whining he knew he’d have to deal with if he declined. His cab honked once as they hurriedly trained phones and typed in their numbers, then Sho had grabbed his things, waved goodbye, and walked out into the rain.

 

_________

 

And now he was inside his cab, resting his forehead against the cool glass of the window. It was probably filthy and he was probably getting bacteria all over his face, which would have usually bothered him, but now his thoughts were wrapped around something – or someone – else.

He was recalling the gorgeous cheekbones, broad shoulders, dark hair, and most of all, the scent, of Jun. He closed his eyes, trying to bring back every detail. He could still feel Jun’s strong grip on his upper arm, catching him as he slid off his stool earlier. His fingers were delicate, but the ease with which he’d held Sho in place with one hand made his stomach flutter. He wondered if Jun worked out. He almost certainly had to in order to be that strong, and the image of Jun sweaty, lifting weights in a gym flashed into Sho’s mind. His breath hitched, and the taxi grew fifteen degrees warmer. He felt his cock twitch in his pants, and bit his lip hard to muffle the frustrated groan he felt climbing up his throat. 

The cab hit the breaks to stop for a red light, and Sho suddenly remembered where he was. Embarrassment flooded into him, and he covered his face with his hands. Since when had he become this desperate? When was the last time he had had sex? He tried to remember. There was that guy a few years ago, he and Sho had been kind of serious for a while before the guy had had to move for his job. But that had to be, what, three years ago? Christ. 

Sho looked down at his half hard cock in his jeans and sighed.

 

_________

 

He was home in bed, after one quick and unsatisfying shower jerk-off session, and reading the parts of the newspaper he had missed this morning before going to sleep, when his phone vibrated on his sheets next to him. He picked up his phone, expecting an email from work, when he saw it was a text from Nino. 

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

Forgot your umbrella. Guess you’ll be coming back after all. 

 

Sho clicked his tongue as he remembered that he had been standing under Nino’s umbrella with him while leaving the bar, which was why he hadn't noticed he was missing his own. Attached to the text was a picture of Nino brandishing Sho's umbrella at Aiba like a sword. Aiba was laughing and cross-eyed, his hands thrown over his chest to mimic death. The picture made Sho smile. He tapped his phone to start writing a reply, when he suddenly received another text.

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

Jun’s asking about you.

 

Sho stared at his phone. Jun was asking about him? Asking what? Asking as in, “what’s that guy’s problem for staring at me earlier?” Or maybe, “why are you making friends with some weirdo you just met who hung out in a dark bar with strangers for hours?"

He quickly typed out a reply that only said, “Asking?”

This time the response from Nino was near instantaneous. 

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

You know. Likes. Dislikes. Sexual orientation and relationship status. 

 

Before Sho had time to process either the text or the swooping feeling he was now feeling in his stomach, another text came almost immediately after the first one. 

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

Basically he’s asking if you’re going to come around again, and I told him yes. You better not make me a liar, Sakurai Sho. I hate being a liar. 

 

Sho almost asked how he knew his last name, then remembered he had entered his full name into Nino’s phone. Nino's choice of Nino Bar Guy was somehow so.... Nino-like that it made Sho chuckle. He finally came to the decision he had been working on ever since he had gotten in the cab outside the bar. 

He tapped out a short but simple reply: "See you soon."


	2. Chapter 2

Sho was pissed. 

It had only been a week since the night of the downpour when he had wandered into the bar in the middle of nowhere, and the man who had caused his irritation at work on that day had already messed up again. And this time, the problem was much, much larger. 

Sho sighed and used his fingers to rub at his aching temples. He looked through the documents piled on his desk: expense reports, printed emails with red circles and underlines everywhere, a calendar so filled with tiny writing that he could barely read it, even though he wrote it himself. This problem was going to take weeks to figure out, and he just didn’t know how he was going to get the work done on top of his already packed schedule. He really should fire the guy and hire someone competent to do the job right, but his wife just had a baby. And Sho might have been a very tough boss, but he was not a monster. Still, what else was there to do in this situation?

He leaned back in his office chair and looked at the ceiling. After a moment of thinking, he blindly reached for his cell phone on his desk, sending a pile of faxes that needed to be shredded to the ground. He was thankful that everyone else was out to lunch so no one was around to hear his low scream of frustration. 

Finally, cell phone in hand, he decided a week was long enough. He needed a nice, relaxing night out, and he knew just the place he wanted to go. He opened up a text to Nino, and asked, “What’s going on at the bar tonight?” then put his phone back down and decided not to look at it for the next half hour. He really did have to get some work done.

But an hour later, when he finally got a chance to check for messages, he had none. He told himself that Nino was probably busy, and went back to work.

But again, two hours after that, he still had no messages when he checked his phone. He poked his tongue against his cheek pensively. Nino usually responded immediately, it was like his phone was permanently attached to his hand. Sho vaguely felt tendrils of anxiety crawling up his stomach. He tried to convince himself it was because he was worried he had done something wrong, and not that he was worried about his chance of seeing Jun again being in danger. He decided to text Nino again. But not because he was desperate, because he wasn't desperate. Not at all. 

“Hey, I’m thinking of stopping by tonight.”

This time, his phone buzzed with a reply while it was still in his hand.

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

Sorry, just woke up. Yeah, sure, come by. Ohno’s back from his trip so we’ll all be there and you’ll get to meet him.

 

Relief washed over Sho and he laughed out loud. He was worried over nothing. Nino was just sleeping in until… 2pm. What an interesting guy. He quickly typed a short response of, “Great, see you around 8,” and went back to work. 

 

_________

 

This was a nightmare. 

Sho looked around his apartment in despair. Clothes were strewn over everything, turning his apartment into a sea of different colors and fabrics. Despite working on his outfit for the past hour, he still couldn't find something to wear to the bar. Why did everything he own suddenly look like something a 60 year-old would wear to conduct a business meeting? Where has he been shopping for his clothes for the past 34 years? 

He glanced at his watch and gasped. It was already almost 7:45. Not that texting a guy who you've met once before saying that you'll meet him at his bar at 8pm on a Tuesday was a strict appointment that he had to be right on time for, but Sho was a punctual man and his heart ached at the thought of being late, even to something as informal as this.

Reaching out randomly for clothing items on top of different piles throughout his apartment, he managed to put together an outfit that didn't look completely awful in eleven minutes, and he allowed himself a second to primp in the mirror in his bedroom. He had chosen his only pair of black jeans, a white T-shirt, and a fitted bomber jacket made from thick, dark blue material. At least he looked somewhat his age now. He fixed his hair quickly, sprayed some of his most expensive cologne, and reached for his phone to call a taxi. 

 

_________

 

Sho walked through the door of the bar at 8:30. He was in the middle of internally cursing himself for his tardiness when he noticed there were an unusual amount of people in the bar, and stopped in his tracks. Music was blaring through the speakers, and a group of men was clustered around a pool table in the back that Sho hadn't even noticed on his first visit, presumably because it had been covered and in the dark half of the room. He peered curiously at the small crowd, then realized he recognized some of them. Nino was there, sitting perched in a tall chair tucked in the back corner, and Aiba was sitting on the corner of the pool table, drinking from a beer can and talking to someone Sho didn't know.

After a few seconds of awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, Nino took notice of him.

"Sho-chan!"

The endearment threw Sho off, but in a good way. It made him happy that Nino was treating him like a close friend, despite only knowing each other for a week, but no one had called him Sho-chan since he was a kid. At the sound of Nino's call, the other men grouped around the table turned to stare at him and - oh, god - there he was. Jun was in the back, leaning against the wall and drinking a beer in a way that would have been pretentious if he wasn't so effortlessly relaxed about it. He was only wearing a T-shirt and jeans but somehow he looked so good that Sho felt his heart leap into his throat. 

"Hey, Nino," Sho said, when he finally remembered to talk. He walked towards the group and shook Aiba's hand. 

"Guys," Aiba said, "this is Sho! We met him last week when he came in during the Great Flood. Sho, this is Ohno," he pointed to a shorter man with a scar on his cheek, "and our friend Toma." Toma was an incredibly handsome man who smiled widely at him.

Sho smiled back and bowed politely, and offered his hand to Ohno first.

"It's nice to meet you, I've heard lots about you," Sho said. "Aiba told me you're quite the fisherman."

Ohno gave him a watery smile and Sho realized he was very drunk. "Best damn fisherman you've ever met, I bet." Ohno said while pumping Sho's hand up and down slowly. The handshake went on forever until Aiba gently reached over and detangled Ohno's hand from his.

Aiba leaned over and whispered, "Don't mind Leader, he's been drinking since he got here," and then walked off to talk with Jun. Sho turned, intending to introduce himself to Toma, but came face to face with Nino instead.

"Sho-chan," Nino said, "let's get you some alcohol."

Sho let himself be led to the bar, and requested his usual bourbon. Nino fixed his drink quietly, with his back to Sho. Once finished, he set the drink in front of him and leaned over the counter. "So, about your crush on Jun," he whispered.

Sho quickly glanced over at the group of men standing in the other side of the room in horror, as if they were in any way able to hear their conversation over the booming music from 100 feet away. "No, no, nu uh, no," Sho stammered, waving his hand in the air.

Nino raised an eyebrow. "So you're not interested?"

Sho sighed. "No, that's not what I mean, I'm very interested. But I just don't want to be a creep who hits on him in a bar the second time we've met."

Nino nodded. "I get you. You want to wine and dine and-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence."

"Okay, okay," Nino said, grinning with his palms raised. "But I get you. How's this: I get you guys talking so you can organically figure out if you like each other, or whatever."

Sho cocked his head to the side and thought about it. All things considered, that sounded like a pretty normal, healthy, and not at all I'm-probably-in-love-with-you-so-please-fuck-me kind of way to get close to Jun. "Okay," he said slowly. 

"Great! Now let's go." Nino grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the bar and towards the pool table, giving Sho just enough time to grab his drink. He was going to need his drink for this.

Nino dragged him over to where he had been sitting when Sho walked into the bar, and sat himself back down in his chair. Sho was left standing nervously next to him, trying to come up with things to chat about. He knew he was bad at small talk and even worse when he was trying to impress someone, unless it was business related. His business lunches were always smooth and effortless, he managed to be charming and get his point across easily, but he hadn't been in a setting where he couldn't rely on his skill and knowledge about his job to support a conversation in years, and this was going to be painful.

Luckily, Nino saved him the tremendous effort it was taking him to start a conversation by leaning over and saying, "You look good when you're not wearing a suit."

Sho looked down at his outfit, surprised. "Thanks."

"Yeah, you can't even tell you probably spent an hour trying to get ready."

Sho laughed. "It wasn't an hour, not even close." He didn't mention that it was more like an hour and a half.

Nino scoffed. "Yeah, whatever. The point is, you look good. What do you usually do on your days off?"

Sho thought about how to answer. The truth was, his life wasn't very interesting. Besides his impromptu trip to the bar last week, he hadn't really had a good day or night off where he went out and had fun in a long time. He usually brought work home with him, and continued to work on his accounts throughout the evening and weekend. Sometimes he'd go to his apartment complex's pool and go for a swim, or take a hike along the beach, but beyond that, all he did was work. He began to sweat as he thought about how to present himself as someone cool with an actual personality beyond his job.

He finally settled on, "I work a lot, but when I get time off, I like to be outdoors." There. That gave enough information without revealing that by "being outdoors" he usually meant sitting on his deck with his paperwork, instead of inside in his home office. He sounded... mysterious and woodsy. Nice.

Nino looked at him curiously. "Outdoors, huh? That's the opposite from me. I'm an indoor-only type of guy."

Sho was about to reply when suddenly Jun was next to him, taking a sip of his beer and peering at him over the lip of the can. Sho absolutely did not watch Jun's throat move as he swallowed.

"What are you guys talking about over here?"

Nino inclined his head towards Sho. "We're talking about how Sho-chan here is the complete opposite of me. He likes to be outdoors, while I'm an inside guy." 

Jun nodded. "Mm-hm, yeah, I bet if you felt the sun touch your skin you'd disintegrate into a pile of ash."

Nino swiftly reached out a leg and kicked Jun hard in the thigh, and Jun laughed. He turned to Sho and smiled at him. "I'm the outdoors type, too. We all are, except for Nino here."

Sho tried to make a sound of polite interest but what came out sounded like a gurgle emitting deep from a shower drain. He quickly took a sip of his drink in order to cover his awkward pause. "Yeah," he said, clearing his throat, "but I don't get out much. I work a lot." 

"Oh, that sucks. Why are you choosing to spend your night off here with us, then?" 

Nino made eye contact with Sho and sent him an annoyingly impish wink that Sho hated. Then he politely excused himself and went to stand with Aiba to watch Ohno and Toma play a sloppy game of very drunk pool. Without Nino sitting next to him, Sho felt the weight of Jun's gaze on his face ten times heavier. Jun took another sip from his beer and continued to watch Sho, who suddenly felt like he couldn't speak. He cleared his throat again and tried to refrain from blushing from the attention.

"You guys are really nice, and I like this place. It has a good... feeling to it, I guess."

Jun smiled. "Thanks. I guess it's better than nothing, huh? I mean, we all love it here, but no one ever comes in. We bought the building because it was cheap, but nothing over here is open anymore. I doubt anyone knows this bar even exists." 

He leaned up against the wall next to Sho and gazed at the others clustered around the pool table. "You know, I could never work a desk job. Don't get me wrong, to have actual money and not be in massive debt would be amazing, and we're all probably going to have to close this place soon if business continues to be this slow, but this feels like home. I can't imagine being happy anywhere else besides this job, even if it's one where I make no money, you know?" 

Sho stared at him. He didn't know what to say, and he was worried of making the look of utter fondness and love that Jun had on his face as he watched the others play pool go away. A few seconds of silence passed between them, and then Jun looked at him and said, "Anyway, I'm starving. I think I'm going to go make myself some food. Would you like anything?"

Sho nodded and smiled. 

 

_________

 

"Holy shit."

Sho was looking at the back room of the bar for the first time, and it was a mess. To the right of the door, there was a small living room-type area with stuff piled everywhere. It looked like the four owners of the bar had been living in the cramped space. There were two couches, piled high with clothes and two rolled up sleeping bags. There were backpacks strewn on the floor, and several bathroom towels were piled up on the small coffee table. Toiletries, video games, pillows, one huge dumbbell, magazines, and books were littered across the floor. 

Jun laughed. "Yeah, that side's a disaster. But I keep the kitchen very clean, don't worry."

Sho turned to look at the other side of the room, which was, indeed, a small kitchen. And Jun hadn't been lying, the kitchen was spotless. Sho quickly looked from one side of the room to the other. 

"Do you guys... live back here?" he asked tentatively. 

Jun laughed again. "No way. I would go crazy living with those three. Sometimes, one or a few of us will stay late and get drunk here, and instead of going home to our apartments, we crash on the couches or the floor. The bathroom has a shower, so it's not so bad spending the night."

Sho walked closer to the kitchen, to see what Jun was doing. He didn't want to admit it, but he was very curious about Jun's cooking skills, and he was also starving. Jun had pulled out a few peppers and an onion and was cutting the vegetables with a skill that surprised him. Jun glanced over and noticed him watching.

"How do you feel about Italian? I'm making some pasta for myself, but I could make you something different if you don't like Italian food."

"Italian sounds great." 

"Good, because it's what I'm best at." Jun looked at him smugly and Sho grinned. 

They stood that way, Jun at the counter and stove cooking, and Sho standing close by watching, for a while. Sho occasionally asked him questions, both about what he was doing and about himself, and Jun would answer easily while preparing the food. Jun was 32, younger than Sho had expected, and growing up he had wanted to be a chef. He was the last to sign onto the idea of the bar because he had wanted to go to culinary school, but he caved when the others had informed him the bar would have a kitchen that would be his to control. He liked being in control of things, and the idea of working in a kitchen under someone else had always irritated him. The word "control" bounced around in Sho's head for awhile, along with the image of Jun tying him up on his bed before fucking him senseless, and he immediately took a sip from his drink to give him something to do with his hands and face. 

Sho lost track of time. He had no idea how long they'd been standing in the backroom before the food was done. Jun told him to go sit at the bar and he'd bring him his plate once he had strained the pasta, and Sho complied without a word. 

When Jun finally brought out the food, it looked delicious. And when Sho tried it, he was very pleased to discover that it tasted even better than it looked. He chewed his noodles and looked up at Jun, to find that Jun was watching him eat carefully with a look of poorly masked expectation on his face.

"'S so good!" Sho tried to say around his huge mouthful of noodles. 

Jun beamed. "I know it is, I'm just glad to hear you say so." 

Sho tried to lick some sauce off of his lip, and Jun's eyes flicked down to watch the movement of his tongue. When Jun met Sho's eyes again, the air thickened with heavy tension as both of them held eye contact. Sho stopped chewing, both his head and heart racing. Things seemed be to slowing down, and Sho could feel each of his heartbeats pounding in his chest like a drum. Jun was smiling at him softly, and Sho was embarrassed that during the most intimate and romantic moment he'd ever had with Jun so far, his cheeks were full of noodles. He tried to swallow everything in his mouth without coughing, and still, Jun was gazing at him, almost... lovingly. Sho started to consider reaching out to grasp one of Jun's hands that were resting on the bar a few inches from his own. He was just getting ready to make his move, but then Jun blinked and looked down at his food, reached for his chopsticks, and started to eat. The moment broke like shattering glass. Sho tried not to let the disappointment he felt show on his face.

They continued to eat for the next several minutes in mostly silence, occasionally speaking up to talk about the food or to laugh when the group around the pool table broke out in cheers over Ohno finally getting a ball in a pocket. There was tension, but it never rose back up to what had passed between them before.

 

_________

 

Sho spent the rest of the night hanging out at the bar, and feeling like he belonged there. He got to talk at lengths with everyone there except for Ohno and Toma, who were so drunk and so fixated on their seemingly endless game of pool that when Sho had attempted to talk to them, their answers had drifted off into nothing or had formed into half-angry, half-laughing accusations of cheating against the other pool player in mid-sentence.

He drank a lot, but managed to not embarrass himself in front of Jun. When it was time to go home, he found himself not wanting to leave, but he reluctantly called for a cab. He left another $200 on the bar, and as he was saying his goodbyes, he got a handshake from everyone except for Jun and Nino. Jun simply raised an eyebrow, smirked, and nodded at him from his place leaning against the wall. Sho tried to return an equally cool head nod, which had made Jun laugh. If he was being honest, that laugh had been better than a handshake. When he looked to say goodbye to Nino, Sho found him missing from the group, and was disappointed until he stepped out the door and found him leaning against the outside of the bar and smoking. The scene was so similar to his first visit that Sho had an intense feeling of dêja vu.

"Hello, stranger." Sho said.

Nino smiled. "Took you long enough to get out here, I'm already on my second cigarette."

"That's because you smoke like a chimney and has nothing to do with the length of my goodbyes, which were all quite short, for your information."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Nino said, exhaling smoke out into the night sky. After a long pause he said, "It looks like things were going pretty well for you tonight, huh?"

Sho looked out into the empty parking lot. "I don't know what you mean."

Nino scoffed. "Oh, come on. There was a second there where I thought Jun was going to jump the counter and kiss you."

Sho shook his head. "No way, I- Wait, you were watching us?"

"Of course I was, what kind of matchmaker would I be if I didn't observe my clients when given the opportunity?"

"Matchmaker?!"

"Yeah, you both are into each other, but neither of you are acting on it. It's pissing me off, so I'm lovingly nudging you both in the right direction. It's not an official title but it works."

Sho stared at him in disbelief. "You've been talking to Jun about me? You're trying to... 'nudge' him, too? The way you've been doing with me?"

"Duh. I wouldn't encourage you to pursue him if I didn't think there was a chance he'd be into you. Which he is. He just sucks at showing it because he is used to one night stands and being blunt about the physical side of things. Trust me, the man has no tact. He doesn't know how to woo someone he intends on keeping around. If he just wanted to fuck you and move on, he would have by now."

Sho gaped at him. This was all way too much information to process at once, and his head was spinning. He really needed to stop having these conversations with Nino after he'd had so much to drink. He was about to reply when the door to the bar opened, and Jun came running out. He spotted Sho and his whole face lit up, and he walked over to them quickly. Nino nudged Sho hard in the side with his elbow, and threw his cigarette into the street. 

"It was great seeing you again, I hope you come around more," Nino said, and Sho nodded to him in response as he slipped back inside the bar. Jun was standing there with his hands behind his back, smiling. Sho looked at him and found himself grinning back, despite his anxiety.

"So," Jun said, "you forgot this again." He pulled out Sho's umbrella from behind his back, and held it out to him. "I was worried I'd missed you and you were already in your cab."

Sho took the umbrella from him and looked up. Jun was looking at him expectantly. Sho could feel the intense change in the air caused only by Jun looking at him like that, and it lifted the hairs on his arms. He realized he could kiss Jun right now, now that he knew his feelings might be mutual. He could do it, and it really wouldn't be that big of a deal. Should he kiss Jun? Maybe he should do it now. Or now. Or even now. He sighed. He was going to do it, he was going to really kiss Jun any second now. He took a breath and started to lean in, and if he wasn't crazy or just too drunk, he thought Jun was leaning in, too. He looked down at Jun's lips, then back at his eyes. He had started to sweat despite the chilly night. Then the cab was pulling into the parking lot, and the light from the headlights was directly on them like a spotlight. The tension broke for a second time that night. Both men moved backwards, and the atmosphere turned awkward. Disappointment overwhelmed Sho and he had to fight not to let his frustration show on his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets, looked down at the blacktop, and bit his lip. 

"Well," Jun said, and was it just Sho or did he sound slightly regretful?

"Well," Sho echoed.

"It really is great hanging out with you like this. You fit right in with us, and you're a lot of fun. I hope you come around more often."

Sho nodded. He somehow couldn't force himself to look up from the ground and meet Jun's eyes. 

"Hey," Jun said, and suddenly there was a firm hand on his chin lifting his face upwards until it was level with Jun's. Sho's entire body got goosebumps from the contact. Jun was looking at him with such intensity it made his hands curl into fists. "Are you okay? You looked kind of upset for a second."

Sho tried to smile. "I'm completely fine, I promise."

"Ah." Jun seemed disappointed by his response. He used his thumb to stroke Sho's cheek once, and all the breath went out of Sho's lungs. Jun let go of Sho's chin, cleared his throat, and clapped him on the shoulder. "I hope we all get to see you again soon."

Then he was backing away and Sho felt himself move to walk towards the cab, but he felt like he was on autopilot. His head was screaming at him to turn around and kiss Jun but he knew the timing was wrong. It had been right for a second, but he'd missed his chance. He was filled with bitter disappointment and irritation at himself. 

This time he wasn't even home before the texts from Nino started.

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

What the fuck did you just do?

 

Sho was shocked, and didn't know why Nino was angry with him. "What do you mean?" he replied. 

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

Jun just came back in here and is SULKING. Like a TODDLER. All he will say is that he screwed things up. What happened? 

 

Sho stared at his phone. Jun had screwed up? No, he had been the one to screw up, hadn't he? 

He texted Nino back quickly. "I was going to kiss him but missed my chance. The cab came and the atmosphere was awkward and wrong."

This time Nino's text came back almost instantly. 

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

You've got to be kidding me. What are you guys, twelve year olds? You both are thinking about this too much. 

 

The next text came before Sho had even finished reading the first.

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

I've never seen Jun act like this over a guy before. He's in here whining. If you don't make a move the next time you see him and I have to keep dealing with whiny Jun, I may kill him. And then you'd NEVER get to have him fuck you. So consider your options.

 

Sho let his head thunk against the headrest of the cab's backseat and he groaned. Without realizing it, his hand made its way to the cheek where Jun had stroked his skin with his thumb. He let out a sigh of frustration. Why was this so hard? 

 

_________

 

Time passed quickly for Sho, and before he knew it, it was two months later. Things were mostly the same, but there had been a few massive developments in Sho's life. For one, he had gained two of the biggest accounts of his entire career over the last month, and he'd become nearly half a million dollars richer. Needless to say, his company was flourishing, and he had been able to hire an assistant who was helping manage his overwhelming work schedule, along with adding two more employees to his practice. Work was getting done more smoothly, and Sho did not have to spend every waking second he had working anymore. He had started working out, and was considering buying a car.

Last month, he'd gone on one date with someone other than Jun, his first date in almost four years. A work acquaintance had set him up with a friend, but the date had been awkward and there had been no chemistry. Sho had gone home and masturbated to thoughts of Jun, and had cum hard onto his chest while riding three of his own fingers, groaning Jun's name into his pillow.

He’d been to the bar several times by now, and the guys had become his closest friends. Not that there was much competition, Sho hadn’t really had friends before he met them. But he had found himself going several times a week to drink and eat dinner with the gang, and even brought the take out with him himself a few times after he'd gotten out of work. He knew what each of them ordered at several different restaurants, so he hadn't even needed to call to get their orders. The realization had made him feel incredibly happy.

He had only been with Jun alone once beyond their late-night dinner date, which is what Nino had come to call the night Jun had made pasta for he and Sho at the bar, despite Sho protesting that it wasn't anything close to a date. The second time they had been alone had been last week; Sho had come by after work with some food for everyone, only to find Jun tending the bar by himself. They had spent a pleasant but awkward hour chatting and sipping beers before Nino had shown up and caused enough of a racket to break the heavy atmosphere. 

When Sho was getting ready to leave that night, Nino had approached him and dragged him outside to talk while he smoked. "You should ask Jun out on a date," he'd said.

Sho had responded, first with outright refusal, then dejected frustration. He was of the opinion that Jun would say no because, let's face it, they still barely knew each other. Nino had been just as insistent, almost annoyingly so, that Jun would say yes, and had eventually worn Sho down to a halfhearted, "I'll think about it."

And Nino hadn't given up. All week he'd been sending Sho texts demanding to know when he was going to ask Jun out. It had been driving him crazy. And now, as he was on the familiar walking path from work to the bar after a long day of meetings, Sho was rereading the last text from Nino on his phone in his hand for what was probably the fifteenth time that day. 

 

From: Nino Bar Guy

What are you afraid of?

 

Sho hadn't been able to answer. He himself didn't know why he was so hesitant to pursue the only guy he'd had any interest in in years. He closed his eyes and sighed as he made his way down the now familiar dilapidated street, the light from the bar a somehow welcoming and exhausting sight. As he reached the front door, and his hand hit the cool metal of the door handle, he made up his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

When Sho entered the bar, he was surprised to see customers, for the first time in the three months he had been visiting. There were four old men, construction workers by the looks of their uniforms, lined up on stools at the bar and drinking huge pints of beer with their gnarled hands. The sight was both welcome, and an enormous disappointment, as he was incredibly glad that tonight there was going to be income beyond his rather substantial donations that he had been making every visit in the form of tips, but he had wanted a tad more privacy if he was going to really push things forward with Jun tonight. 

Nino was tending bar, and as soon as Sho walked through the door, he yelled, "Sho-chan! Get your ass over here!" 

The men at the bar all turned to stare and him and Sho laughed. He could tell from Nino's voice that he was very drunk. "Hey, Nino," he said, leaning over the bar to talk to him. "How's it goin'?"

"Good! Tonights the night, right?" Nino asked, wiggling his eyebrows obscenely. 

Sho scoffed. "Knock if off. I don't know if tonight is the night or not. Is he even here?"

"Any minute now. Want a drink? Help you loosen up a bit?" The men at the bar were watching this exchange with looks of polite interest on their faces, and Sho was suddenly hyper-aware that he and Nino weren't alone like usual. He nodded to the men, who returned his nod all in unison, and Sho was vividly reminded of the dwarves from Snow White. He had to stifle a laugh.

Sho thought for a second, but decided to turn the drink down. If he was going to do this, he wanted to be level-headed. 

Nino accepted his decision with a quiet nod. "You can go in the back and wait for him, if you'd like."

Sho thanked him and headed towards the backroom. He was almost to the door when he heard Nino shout, "Sho! Hold up a second."

Sho stopped and turned to watch Nino speak to the men at the bar, then he jogged over to where Sho was standing. 

"Listen, man," Nino started, "I just want to say that no matter what happens with Jun, you're always going to be welcome here." He paused to hiccup. "We love you, and if things get weird, don't let that change the way you act with us, or how often you come around." Nino's voice wavered, and he was standing unsteadily on his feet. "You're one of us now." He rested his hand on Sho's shoulder, and Sho put his hand over his. 

Just then, an answer to Nino's text came to him. Nino had asked him what he was scared of that was preventing him from pursuing Jun seriously. He was scared of losing the only thing he'd come to really care about for years. Going to the bar, and particularly seeing the people running the bar, was the only thing he really, truly loved, and he was scared to lose that. 

"Thanks, Nino. I really appreciate that. Actually, I really appreciate all you've done for me over the past few months." 

Nino cleared his throat. "It was nothing. Anyway, get back there and prepare yourself for whatever you're going to say. Let me know if you need anything."

Sho nodded his head and clapped Nino on his shoulder. 

 

_________

 

 

Sho was in the backroom, pacing and trying to keep himself from losing the tiny shreds of confidence and hope he had left. He hadn't been this nervous in years. He could feel his shoulders shaking and hated them for it. 

When Jun walked through the door after ten minutes of waiting, Sho's heard skipped a beat. He was wearing a nice sweater over a button up, and it was the first time Sho had seen him outside of a T-shirt. He looked amazing, and it wasn't helping with Sho's nerves. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest as he tried to stay calm. Jun had his messenger bag over his shoulder, and he bent down to place it on the floor. 

When he stood up, Jun's eyes fell on Sho, and his surprised smile faltered when he sensed the nervous tension emitting from him. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned. 

"Nothing, but... There's something I wanted to ask you."

Jun smiled more easily again. "Okay, shoot."

"Okay." Sho took a big breath. "I know we haven't know each other that long, and I know that we haven't hung out outside of this building, but I have always had feelings for you. Since the day I met you I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, and it's driving me crazy. I-"

"Sho..."

"Wait, hear me out. I really think what I feel for you might be, you know, the real thing. And that's scary, terrifying even, and I've been trying really hard to just stay your friend but it was too much, and I needed to tell you. And I wanted to ask you-"

"Sho."

"Let me-"

"Sho."

"No, let me take you out on a date, just once, and I promise, if it's awful and you hate it then we can never do it again, and we can go back to how things were before. I'll accept whatever you decide without complaint, but, please, just give me one chance."

Jun was staring at him, and Sho felt himself starting to sweat. Way too many seconds were ticking by, and Sho felt a sinking in his stomach. He didn't like this at all. Then Jun started to quietly laugh, and Sho felt his heart break. 

Jun shook his head, still laughing, and bent to open his bag on the floor. He was rummaging around inside and Sho finally forced himself to start talking to break the horrible silence. 

"Look, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, but I don't regret telling you my feelings. I hope that we-"

"Sho."

Jun was looking up at him from the floor, and trying to hand him a sizable wrapped box. Sho reached out and took it carefully.

"What is this?"

"Open it."

Sho looked from Jun to the box, and gingerly unwrapped the paper. His mouth dropped open when he saw what was inside. 

It was a box of chocolates, specifically a brand of handmade chocolates Sho had mentioned months earlier to Jun in passing. He had tried them once while on vacation in Hokkaido, and said they were the best he'd ever had. 

"What... How... These are only sold in Hokkaido."

"Yeah, I know."

"Where did you get them?"

"Hokkaido. I flew there three days ago. I got back last night. The shipping wouldn't have gotten here in time."

Sho gaped at him. "But..."

"There's more." Jun walked to the closet in the kitchen part of the backroom, and opened the door. Sitting on a shelf inside was an enormous bouquet of lavender, Sho's favorite flower. Which he had never told Jun, he had only mentioned it to- 

"Nino told you."

"He helped me out with the flowers, yes."

"But-"

"I'm not done."

"What do you mean?"

Jun reached into the bouquet and plucked out an envelope tucked into the flowers. He turned and handed it to Sho. 

"Before you start apologizing for what you've told me, I think you should read that."

Sho opened the envelope and pulled out a small piece of paper. The handwriting was messy, but Sho could still read it without a problem. 

 

Sho,

Every day that I spent getting to know you over the past few months has been a gift. Would you let me treat you to a dinner - as a real date this time? I look forward to your answer.

Yours always,  
Jun

 

He read it through three more times, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. When he was through, Sho blinked several times. He was not going to let himself cry.

Jun laughed. "See? See why I was trying to interrupt you? I had this whole thing planned and you came and stole my thunder."

Sho felt a tear escape and drip off his eyelashes. He angrily wiped his cheek with the back of his hand.

Jun was grinning. "So? What do you say?" he asked.

Sho rolled his eyes. "Yes, you idiot, I say yes!"

Jun rushed forward and grabbed him in a tight hug, and then they were kissing. Feeling Jun's mouth on his was like dying and going to heaven. It was even better than he'd been expecting. Jun's lips were soft and fit against his like they belonged there. When they finally separated, they were both breathing hard.

Another tear fell down Sho's cheek, and Jun kissed it away. 

 

_________

 

They tried to set the date for the next weekend, but decided that would be too far away. Sho wanted some time to prepare himself mentally, but Jun managed to convince him that the sooner they got the awkward first date over with, the better, so they changed the date to the next night.

They had come out of the backroom holding hands, to find Nino standing alone at the bar with champagne. The three of them had toasted to "Sho's future sore ass" thanks to Nino, and much to Sho's embarrassment. After a glass of champagne, Jun dropped a kiss on Sho's temple, and promised to text him about tomorrow night before leaving the bar to clean his apartment for the date.

As soon as he was gone, Sho turned on Nino. "You! You sent me back there a nervous mess when you knew what would happen! You-" Sho smacked Nino on the arm, "complete-" another smack, "ass!" He whacked him hard.

Nino was giggling into his champagne. "Yeah, but I mean, look what happened! I really don't think that could have gone any better, even if I had planned it myself. Wait, I did plan it myself! I'm a genius."

Sho rolled his eyes.

"Though, I guess if I had known you were a crybaby, then I would have filmed it."

"I'm not a crybaby, I'm just sensitive!" 

"Yeah, yeah. So what are you gonna wear tomorrow?"

Sho groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "I have no idea."

Nino was shaking his head. "You poor man. If you're free tomorrow afternoon, I'll take you shopping for clothes."

"Yeah, that actually sounds great."

"Good. Now, tell me exactly how it happened again."

 

_________

 

Sho had not expected that a trip to the mall could have been as overwhelming as his trip with Nino had been. He had met up with him outside a department store at 3:30, and as they moved from shop to shop, it quickly became apparent that Nino's sense of style for a first date was vastly different from what Sho would have usually picked out. 

Sho had decided it was time to leave when Nino had attempted to convince Sho into buying a thong. There was only so much he could handle.

Despite the frustrating and admittedly hilarious time he spent with Nino, they managed to pick out four solid outfits that Sho felt he looked pretty dang hot in. They walked to the subway, each carrying two bags from different stores. 

"At least I have options now," Sho said as they waited for the train.

"Yeah, if you wear whatever we bought, he's not going to be able to keep his hands off you."

Sho grinned. "I hope so."

 

_________

 

 

He showed up at Jun's at 7:05. Nino had gone to great lengths assuring him that not only was it okay to show up slightly late to a first date, it also gave off an air of mystery and aloofness that most guys were attracted to. Sho didn't know how much he believed in all of that, but he was willing to give anything a try once, so here he was, exactly 5 minutes late, and standing at the front door of Jun's building. He scanned the names on the buzzers until he found 1405, Matsumoto, J. He reached out a shaky finger and buzzed. 

Jun's voice came over the intercom. "Hello?"

Sho pressed the button again. "Hey, it's me!" His voice cracked on the word "me," and Sho raised his lip in a grimace. He cleared his throat as Jun pressed the button to unlock the door, and Sho walked inside. 

He was trying not to feel nervous and failing as he rode the elevator up to the 14th floor. When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, he sighed, straightened his jacket, and walked into the hall. Jun was leaning out of his open doorway, waiting, and the sight of his head sticking out into the air made Sho jump. And then they were both laughing, and Sho's nervousness vanished with a poof. 

Jun ushered him inside, and while he went to hang up Sho's jacket in the closet, Sho got a chance to look around. Jun's apartment was tiny, but incredibly clean, which Sho appreciated. There was a living room crammed into one corner, with a couch and one hugely overstuffed armchair, a round coffee table, and a medium-sized TV. A record player sat on one of the windowsills, and a jazz record was playing softly. The kitchen was even smaller, with just a tiny table with two chairs on opposite ends. A giant bowl of steaming pasta was sitting on the table, along with a bottle of wine and a small bouquet of flowers. All in all, Jun's apartment felt homey and comforting, and Sho instantly loved it. 

Jun came back down the hall and noticed him looking around. 

"It's not much, but it's good enough," he said with a shrug. 

"No, no, I really like it."

Jun beamed. "I'm glad. Are you hungry? The food's ready, I wasn't sure if you wanted to eat right away, so I cooked ahead just in case. If not, I can make something again later, and we can eat then. Or we can scrap the whole thing and order takeout, I wasn't sure what you'd-" 

Sho reached out a hand and rested it on Jun's arm. Jun stopped talking and stared at him. "Eating now is great, don't worry. And I'm excited to try more of your cooking."

Jun looked away, trying to hide the grin on his face. "Alright, take a seat" He gestured to the tiny table in the kitchen. When Sho sat down, Jun brought over a wine glass for each of them, a corkscrew, and some utensils. He dished out the pasta onto Sho's plate, then did the same for his own. "Would you like some wine?" he asked. 

"Sure, that sounds great," Sho said.

Jun uncorked and poured the wine, then took a seat opposite him. He raised his wine glass. "To good food, and good company." 

"Hear, hear," Sho said, and they clinked glasses. Sho drank lightly from his, tasting the wine. It was delicious. 

"The pasta is spicy homemade pesto with zucchini blossoms, artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, and Roma tomatoes. Let me know what you think."

"Will do."

Sho took hold of his chopsticks and dug into the food. A minute later, he had eaten several mouthfuls and had his cheeks full of pasta, but when he looked at Jun, he noticed he hadn't even started eating yet. He was just sipping his wine and watching Sho eat with a smile. Sho looked from his plate to Jun and back again, swallowing. 

"This is really, really good. Why aren't you eating? You didn't poison me, did you?"

Jun laughed. "No way. It's just really cute to watch you eat. Your face is so expressive. It's one of my favorite things about you."

Sho looked down at his plate. "Well, you make it really easy to enjoy eating. The food you make is seriously phenomenal. You have a gift."

Jun was trying not to smile again. "Thanks. I wish I had more people to cook for, though." 

Sho considered, as Jun finally picked up his chopsticks and started to eat. "Have you ever thought about advertising the bar? You could buy an ad on a bus or in the newspaper and showcase some pictures of your food. I bet something like that would bring in a lot of business. Or you could try and apply to be featured on one of those early morning news cooking shows! I bet they'd pick you, you're like a hidden gem." Sho shoved more pasta into his mouth. His plate was already almost empty. 

Jun scoffed. "Yeah, but that kinda thing is so expensive. I'm already behind on rent, and all the guys are in the same position as me financially. So it doesn't seem likely."

Sho finished the food on his plate, and sipped the rest of his wine. "You know, I've been thinking."

Jun looked at him as he chewed. 

"What if, and now, hear me out before you interrupt, but what if I became a sort of partner in the bar?"

Jun was already shaking his head. "I appreciate that enormously, and so would everyone else. But we're going under, and I don't want you to waste your money."

"It wouldn't be a waste. I love the place, and if I can save it, I want to. I don't mean to brag, especially not on our first real date, but I'm doing extremely well financially at the moment. I was going to buy a new car, but I could buy a used one and use the extra money on advertising for the bar."

Jun stared at him. "That's too much," he said. "You don't have to do that. And we couldn't pay you back."

"I want to. And I wouldn't expect anyone to pay me back. Let me be the bar's partner and economic consultant. I'll do it for free, and I have faith we can get you guys out of the red. This is literally what I do for a living."

Jun had listened to him opened-mouthed. Then he was up out of his chair and in Sho's lap, kissing him insistently. Sho laughed, then kissed back, keeping Jun close with a hand on the back of his neck. When they parted for air, Jun looked at him in disbelief. "Are you sure you want to do this? And not just for me?"

"No," Sho said, "I mean, you're a big part of it, but so are Nino, and Aiba, and Ohno. I want to save the bar because I love you guys and I love your place, and I think with the right economic and marketing changes, you could be enormously successful. I've actually been thinking about this for a while, but I didn't want to tell you in case you felt like I was trying to buy the way into your pants."

Jun laughed. "Okay, I believe you. We have to tell the guys tomorrow. Are you busy?"

"Actually, I took work off tomorrow. I was unsure what the plan was here, and it's better to be safe than sorry."

Jun stood, and looked down at him, eyebrow cocked. 

Sho laughed. "It's not like it sounds. I mean't I didn't know how late we'd be out."

"Uh huh, sure."

Sho reached out and pinched Jun's hip under his shirt. "Come back over here."

Jun shook his head stubbornly. "No, you come here."

"Okay." Sho got out of his seat, and then they were kissing again. Jun took hold of Sho's jaw and lightly scraped his nails against the skin, and it drove Sho wild. He ran his tongue over Sho's bottom lip, and Sho opened his mouth and sucked on Jun's tongue. Jun ran his hand down his back, and slipped down to squeeze at Sho's ass cheek, pushing him forward so he was pressed against him. 

The temperature in the kitchen was skyrocketing, and Sho felt his cock throb in his pants when Jun effortlessly rolled his hips against his own. He whined low in his throat when Jun leaned down to suck and nip at his neck. With another roll of Jun's hips, Sho felt his body turn into putty. He was fully hard now, and could feel that Jun wasn't too far behind him as his hips pressed against Sho's.

"As tempting as it would be to fuck you on the kitchen floor," Jun said against his skin, "I'd prefer if our first time was slightly more romantic."

Sho stuck his lip out in a pout. "But-"

"Nope, no arguments. It's the bed for us."

Sho laughed and allowed Jun to drag him down the hall by his hand. When they got through the door of the bedroom, Sho had less than a second to take the room in before Jun picked up him and threw him onto the bed. It happened so fast that Sho barely had time to process what had happened before his back hit the mattress with a slight bounce. Sho had known Jun was strong, but he had never imagined that he would have been able to manhandle him that way; there wasn't much difference in their size and if anything, Jun was the lighter one. Thinking about the amount of strength that Jun must have made Sho's body shiver. 

Jun joined him on the bed and reconnected their lips with a sigh. They took their time making out, tasting each other and savoring the feeling of their lips sliding together. Jun licked the roof of Sho's mouth and Sho moaned. 

Soon, Sho felt Jun's hand slip under his shirt. His hands were cold, and they made goosebumps break out along his skin. Jun explored, finding a nipple and tweaking it, swallowing Sho's quiet sounds of pleasure with his mouth. When he got to Sho's navel, Jun paused. Sho held his breath nervously. 

Jun broke apart their kiss to stare at Sho, one eyebrow raised as he felt the skin around his belly button. Then he reached down and tugged the shirt off over Sho's head. Sho was biting his lips as Jun slid lower in the bed to inspect the simple piercing in Sho's navel. 

Jun raised his eyebrows and glanced back up to meet Sho’s eyes. “Well, that’s interesting,” he said, a taunting smile lifting the corners of his lips. 

Sho blushed hard and cleared his throat. “I used to be pretty wild, I guess, in my days before the company. I did some pretty stupid things back then, but that was one I ended up liking. So... I kept it.” Sho felt color flood into his face. What was he talking about with Jun laying between his legs?

Jun ran a hand down Sho’s belly and leaned down to press a kiss over the piercing. “I like this wild Sho,” he said, gently tugging on the piercing with his teeth. Sho gasped and closed his eyes. Jun kissed his belly again and made him squirm. “I want to hear more about him later.” 

“Fat chance,” Sho said under his breath, smiling despite himself.

“Oh, I bet I can get you to talk,” Jun said, and then Sho felt his pants being unbuttoned. Sho bit his lip again and tried to keep eye contact as Jun was lowering his zipper, slowly teasing as he opened Sho’s pants. He felt sweat spring up on his brow; suddenly he was very, very warm. There was a needy, desperate whine rising up the back of his throat and he tried to contain it, but was only mostly successful. The sound that escaped him made him blush even harder, he sounded wrecked already and his pants weren’t even off yet. But Jun just laughed softly and said, “Man, you’re really cute.”

That made Sho whine again, and this time he didn’t try to stop the sound. He impatiently lifted his hips and Jun pulled his pants all the way off. Now without the thick denim barrier, the bulge in his underwear from his hard cock was exceedingly obvious, but before he could get nervous, Jun leaned down and nuzzled against his erection. Sho let his head fall back against the pillow and groaned.

Jun reached a hand up and stroked him through his underwear a few times, squeezing him gently and taking in his pleasured gasps and little bucks of his hips with a smug look on his face. He teased him more by sliding a finger very lightly along the outline of Sho’s cock. 

“You’re already so wet for me,” Jun said. His hand was massaging high up on Sho's thigh as he leaned down to lap at the wet mark of precum seeping through Sho’s boxers with his tongue. 

The sight set Sho's body on fire. “Oh, god, please,” Sho groaned. 

“Please what? Tell me what you want.” 

“You, I want you.”

Jun smirked, ran his hands lightly along Sho’s slightly shaking thighs, and softly kissed his knee. 

"You're going to have to be more specific, babe."

Sho huffed and rolled his eyes, frustrated and extremely embarrassed. He was so worked up, nearly completely naked while Jun was still clothed. He pouted. 

"First of all, you're wearing too many clothes."

Jun smiled and got up. He unbuttoned his shirt slowly and methodically, as if intentionally trying to annoy the impatient man on the bed. With his shirt gone, Jun was left standing in just his jeans. He reached his hand lower to undo his belt, and finally Sho couldn't take it anymore.

"You're too slow!" he said, and reached out to replace Jun's hands at his belt with his own. Jun looked down to watch him undoing the buckle and smirked. 

"So desperate." It was said quietly, barely more than a whisper, but it was enough for Sho to hear it, and his blush came back full force. Jun reached his hand down and ran it through Sho's hair fondly as he pulled the belt out of Jun's pants. 

Sho could see the outline of Jun's thick cock pressing against the fabric of his jeans, right next to the zipper, and his mouth watered. He was proud that he only hesitated to stare for a second before moving on to pull them down Jun's hips, and he brought the underwear along with them. Sho stared at the dick bobbing in front of his face. He wanted it in his mouth immediately. But before he could so much as open his mouth, Jun pushed him so he was lying back on the bed again. Jun joined him now that he was sufficiently naked. "Before we really get started, we need a safe word. What should it be?

"We need a safe word?"

"Yes, in case I take things too far for you or you need a break."

A small smile bloomed on Sho's mouth. "Are you really going to fuck me that hard?"

"I'm going to fuck you so hard you're not going to be able to walk for a week."

Sho whimpered.

"The word, Sho. What should it be?" He started running his fingers down Sho's chest lightly while Sho thought about it, and it was making it hard for him to concentrate.

"P-pineapple?"

"Pineapple? That's cute. Okay, If you want me to stop anything, say pineapple. And if you can't talk, hit the headboard twice."

Jun leaned down to suck and tug on his belly button piercing again. "I-if I can't talk?"

"Mmm," Jun hummed around the metal, gave it one last lick, and looked up at Sho. "If I gag you, you won't be able to talk." He leaned down again and started kissing and licking along the elastic waistband of Sho's boxers.

The idea of Jun gagging him set an entire wildfire in bloom in his body. "Fuck," he whispered quietly. He reached a hand down and tugged lightly on Jun's hair. Jun grabbed the band of Sho's underwear and started to pull them down his hips. His cock was so hard it gently slapped against his stomach when it was released, leaving a shiny smear of precum across his skin, which Jun promptly licked up. 

“Oh, fuck. Please fuck me, Jun. I need you.” 

Jun grinned, and raised his hand in front of Sho’s face. “Suck.”

Sho obediently opened his mouth, and tried not to gag as Jun pushed three of his fingers inside. He sucked on them until he felt spit dripping down his chin. Jun watched him hungrily.

"Good boy," he said lowly, and Sho stared at him, his tongue and lips still working around the fingers in his mouth. 

When Jun decided his fingers were sufficiently wet, he pulled them from Sho's mouth with a slick pop. A string of saliva connected them to Sho's lips, and when it broke, it left drool on Sho's chin that Jun stared at, biting on his lower lip. He moved his hand down and Sho felt him circle his hole gently. The first finger went in almost easily, and Jun raised his eyebrows again, surprised at the connotation. Sho allowed himself a very small smirk.

"Very interesting," Jun said, as he stretched his rim gently. He added the second finger quickly, and Sho keened. 

Jun scissored his fingers inside of Sho's heat, stretching him carefully as Sho's legs shook. He curled his fingers deftly and hit his prostate, and Sho writhed on the bed. 

"Fuck me," Sho moaned, "Please fuck me, Jun. Hard. Fill me up." 

Jun broke his cool dominance for the first time as he groaned. "Yeah? You want my cock, baby?" Sho nodded and bit his lip. He looked on the verge of tears. 

Jun pushed a third finger into him, and Sho moaned, his hands grasping at the sheets. Jun spread Sho's legs further apart, to get a better view of his ass swallowing his fingers. "You take three so well,” Jun praised. “Do you fuck yourself like this? Do you think about me while you're fucking yourself with your fingers shoved knuckle-deep into your tight little hole? Huh?"

Sho's breath hitched and he blushed bright red from embarrassment. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"Good boy. You're so good for me." Sho glowed under the praise. Jun reached up and rolled one of Sho's nipples under his fingers, and Sho gasped, pushing his hips back harder to meet Jun's hand.

"Look at you, so desperate, fucking yourself on my fingers like that. Are you really that needy? Can't even wait for me to fill you up, can you?"

Sho bit his lip and moaned, arching his back. He was so close, he could feel his orgasm working it's way through him. His toes were curling; he just needed a few seconds more to push him over the edge. 

"Jun, please," Sho whined, reaching his hand out to grasp Jun's free arm. "Please, I'm so close."

Jun continued to pump his fingers in and out until Sho felt his legs shaking. Then, without warning, Jun withdrew his fingers, leaving Sho's hole empty and fluttering. He watched with a small smile on his lips as Sho writhed, groaning in frustration as his orgasm slowly ebbed away. 

Jun reached down and ran a hand up Sho's thigh. "Gorgeous," he said softly. "You are so gorgeous."

Sho covered his face with his hands, and Jun reached up to gently pull them away. Sho was sweating and flushed and his lips were bitten red. Jun swiped his thumb across his full bottom lip and leaned down to capture his mouth in a kiss. 

When they parted, Sho was panting. “I need you in me, fuck me, Jun, fuck me, I—” Jun cut off Sho's begging with a hard slap to his thigh.

"Be patient," Jun said. "You were being so well behaved up until now. Don't make me leave you like this."

Sho swallowed hard. 

"Are you gonna be good for me?" Sho leaned up on his elbows so he could look down at Jun and nodded desperately. "Good. Now," Jun crawled up the bed until he was straddling Sho's chest, his cock hanging directly in front of Sho's face, "suck."

Sho opened his mouth obediently and Jun pushed in smoothly. Sho gagged, and felt tears spring to his eyes, but it was so good. He'd wanted this for so long.

Jun was hot and heavy on his tongue, and he tasted bitter and slightly like sweat and piss, but it was driving Sho wild. Jun bucked lightly into his mouth at first, and when he adjusted and could take him more easily, Jun picked up his pace, fucking into Sho's mouth while one hand was in his hair to keep his head in place. 

Jun lost his cool for the second time as Sho looked up to make eye contact with him. Jun let his head fall back and groaned, his hips still working as a quiet, "Fuck," slipped out from him. Sho tried not to grin around the cock in his mouth. He didn't do this often, but he was proud of his ability to give head. He knew what to do and when to do it, and he loved that he was able to drag these quiet sounds out of Jun. He wanted to hear more, so he utilized his somewhat surprising skill and opened his throat, swallowing around Jun's cock. Jun's mouth dropped open as he looked down at Sho, who was rewarded with a quiet, "Oh my god."

That time, Sho did grin. He had tears welling up in his eyes and clinging to his eyelashes, and drool dropping from his chin down to his chest. He was a complete mess, but he loved this. He would let Jun use his mouth as he wanted like this every day if he could. 

Jun ran his fingers through his hair. "That's it, take it. Take it all like that. You're doing so good for me, honey." Sho moaned, and he didn't know what was affecting him more, the praise or the pet name. He swallowed around Jun again, and then Jun gasped. 

"Oh, god." Jun pulled out and tightened his fingers around the base of his cock, his eyes squeezed shut. He was panting, his hips were twitching, and a thick line of spit connected Sho's lips to the tip of his dick. 

Sho watched him as he tried to stave off his orgasm. When a few seconds had passed, Jun opened his eyes, and leaned down to kiss Sho. "You," he said, "are one hell of a catch."

Sho laughed and pinched Jun's side. "Did you like that?" His voice was rough.

"Sweetheart, I don't think there's a man alive who wouldn't have liked that. Now, lift your legs for me."

Sho did as he was told, and Jun sank between them, throwing Sho's legs over his shoulders. He leaned down and eased into Sho's hole with three fingers, then spat onto Sho's perineum. Jun watched his saliva drip down to coat around Sho's hole, pumping his fingers in and out. Deeming him prepared enough, Jun sat up and positioned the head of his cock at Sho's entrance. Sho reached out, and Jun took hold of his hand on the bed, lacing their fingers together. "Ready?" he asked.

"Absolutely," Sho said, and then Jun was pushing into him. Despite Jun's extensive preparation, it was still a tight fit, and Sho squeezed his eyes shut against the slight pain. But then there was a hand working over his neglected cock, and the pain was less important. Jun bottomed out and paused, waiting for Sho to adjust. When he felt like he was ready, he nodded, and Jun moved. The first slide was slow, and had Sho's eyes rolling back into his head. He felt so deliciously full. 

Jun reached down to twist a nipple between his fingers. Sho gasped and bucked his hips, and Jun took that as his cue to speed up his movements. He started pounding into Sho, the sound of their skin slapping was loud in the small bedroom. Sho had originally tried to stay quiet, he was embarrassed about how loud he could get during sex, but the second Jun sped up, that idea was out the window. Sho was a panting, writhing, moaning, mess, and he blushed as he realized that not only could Jun's neighbors probably hear him getting fucked into the mattress, but that he also didn't really care. In fact, he almost wanted them to hear. Sho twisted his hands in the sheets as arousal washed over him in wave after wave. 

Jun leaned down and pulled on Sho's lip with his teeth, and then licked inside his mouth, kissing him. The kiss was intense, and it left Sho even more breathless than before. Sho raked his nails down Jun's arm as he arched off of the bed. He felt the familiar pressure building in his body and knew he was getting close.

"I'm not - ngh, fuck - I'm not gonna last long."

Jun slid his hand into Sho's hair and pulled, baring his neck, and Jun leaned down to suck at his skin, releasing it with a wet pop. "You're going to last until I tell you to."

Sho shook his head and said, "I can't, I can't, I'm so close."

Jun kissed Sho's cheek and whispered in his ear, "Shhh, you can, you're so good, you can do this."

Sho whined loudly as Jun reached a hand down and used his fingers to circle around the base of Sho's dick and slowed his movements down. Frustration and arousal and love all pounded through Sho's veins, making him feel almost high. Once his need to orgasm immediately had dissipated, Jun reached down and lifted Sho's leg and placed it on his shoulder, which changed the angle of his thrusts. He sped up again, and suddenly, every time Jun slid into Sho's ass, his cock was directly nudging his prostate. Sho clung to Jun's back with his nails, arched off the bed, and nearly screamed. 

"There we go," Jun said smugly, as he fucked into him harder, panting. "You look so fucking pretty like this, all blissed out for me."

Sho groaned, "It's too much, too much."

Jun reached down and lazily pumped his cock without slowing his hips down. It was some friction, but not enough for Sho to cum. "You can take it, baby." 

Sho's face was flushed red, and he was dripping sweat. He felt like he was pulled too tight, like a string about to snap, and knew was getting close again. "Jun, Jun please let me cum, please, I've been so good."

Jun grabbed Sho's jaw and turned his face to the side, and licked a sweaty path up Sho's neck. 

"Alright," Jun said, moving to kiss Sho's damp temple. "You've held out long enough for me, I guess you've earned it." Jun grabbed Sho's other leg and lifted it on his shoulder, then he pushed both legs up to the mattress, nearly folding Sho in half. This time, with Jun pounding hard directly into his prostate, Sho was pretty sure he did scream. His hands scrambled for purchase in the bedding, and his body arched as he came across his chest. His orgasm seemed to go on forever, and Jun fucked him through it as he writhed on the bed. 

Once he had come down from his high, he noticed Jun's thrusts were getting increasingly sloppy. He was close, and Sho wanted to get him back for edging him twice in one night. He dragged his hand slowly through his own release on his stomach, and made eye contact with Jun as he started to suck his fingers clean.

Jun hissed above him, and the hiss turned into a low groan when Sho shoved all four of his fingers into his mouth at once, and dragged them down his tongue. There was spit and cum smeared all around his mouth, making his lips shiny, and Sho knew he looked completely wrecked. The image must have been too much for Jun, and he pulled out and quickly maneuvered Sho onto his knees on the floor. He worked his hand over his cock directly in front of Sho's face. 

Fresh arousal slammed into Sho like a slap, and he felt his dick twitch. “Fuck. You gonna come all over me? Gonna mark me as yours?” 

Jun moaned, “Fuck, Sho, fuck yes, I’m gonna- I’m gonna cum.”

Jun grunted and panted above him, and worked his hand over his cock faster. He thrust his free hand into Sho’s hair and pulled it, forcing his head back as Jun’s release finally hit him. Sho opened his mouth as ropes of warm, white cum shot onto his face, covering his forehead, cheeks, lips, and chin. 

Jun collapsed on the bed, panting. "Fuck. That was - fuck. I've had a lot of sex but that... I just... wow..."

Sho laughed. He was glad he wasn't the only one who had been affected intensely by their chemistry in bed. Jun sat up weakly and helped Sho rise from his knees to lay back down on the bed. He had cum everywhere, including an eyelid, so he could only open one eye. Jun laughed when he saw. "I'll be right back, I'm going to get you something to help clean you up. Fuck, that was..." 

While he waited for Jun to return, Sho started to clean himself up in his own way. He closed his eye, and used his thumb to scoop the cum on his face into his mouth. He managed to clean off his forehead and one cheek before he heard a quiet moan from the room, and opened his eye again. Jun was watching him with his mouth open from the doorway, a wet towel in his hand.

Jun groaned. "You need to stop. Please don't make me hard again, I'm too exhausted to fuck you properly after the first time."

Sho laughed, and motioned with his hand for Jun to come to the bed. He did, and started wiping at Sho's face gently with the warm wet towel, occasionally leaning down to cover Sho's skin in kisses. 

 

_________

 

When Sho had been cleaned up, and Jun had thrown the towel in the hamper, the two men stayed naked and curled up together in bed. Jun hadn't stopped occasionally peppering small kisses all over Sho's face and neck and shoulders, as he rubbed a hand up and down his back. Sho had his eyes closed, completely exhausted but content in the feeling of Jun holding him. 

Jun brought Sho out of his half-dozing state when he said, "Hey, you still with me?"

Sho hummed. "Still here," he said faintly. 

"Good. I just want to tell you that that was by far the best first date I've ever had."

Sho laughed softly. His voice was still rough and gravelly. "Me, too."


End file.
